ZTT Japan release “Sampled” & “The Value of Entertainment” combo set

Two items high on many a Zang Tumb Tuum fan’s wish-list are being issued together via the Japanese arm of the now 30-year old label, this month.

The CD+DVD combo package consists of the 1985 compilation Sampled – on CD for the first time – andthe DVD debut of The Value of Entertainment, the video presentation of 1985 ZTT London ‘showcase’ wherethe Art Of Noise infamously ‘jilted’ Paul Morley, leaving him on-stage with some dancers but sans band (Gary Langan explained more about this to SDE here).
The master tape of The Value of Entertainment appears to have been recently found at the British Film Institute, so that sounds promising in terms of a good transfer. This video collection has been previously available on VHS and Laserdisc.

Sampled was a various (ZTT) artists compilation issued only on cassette and vinyl, and for a long time contained plenty of exclusive tracks and variations. Most have by now be plundered for various ZTT reissues and compilations, including Frankie Goes To Hollywood‘s Disneyland which appeared on 2001’s Twelve Inches as well as the 2010 Welcome to thePleasuredome deluxe edition. However, this new edition features a significantly expanded selection with seven extra tracks.

The art gallery cover art is rather appropriate since both of these items have high historical value in terms of early-to-mid-eighties pop and this release is the equivalent to a restoration. The desirability combined with the usual high quality Japanese mini-LP-with-OBI-strip packaging makes this as close to a ‘must-have’ item for the ZTT connoisseur as you’re likely to see.

If they used a U-Matic master, then the quality isn’t going to be that great because U Matic was poor to begin with. (U Matic resolution being inferior to Betacam and Betacam SP, I wonder if the 1″ master (which was probably what it was recorded on originally) Still Exists? Plus if it has come from the BFI it would be in Pal and there would be a certain amount of quality drop going into the NTSC world.

The DVD will be taken from a (I believe u-matic) broadcast master held in the BFI Archive. My understanding was that the Japanese release would use this master as well, rather than the LD master with burned in subtitles. The BFI master was discovered quite late in the day during the pre-production process.

Just to update everyone further, the latest on this is that the Japanese version does indeed use the BFI master. But as Ian points out this was an edited broadcast-for-TV version. So the footage that was edited out for the TV broadcast are included as extras in this Japanese version. They are the only bits which are taken from the laserdisc and have the not-removable subtitles. The reason there is no mention of the BFI master in the notes in the new Japanese release is because they were written before it was found and didn’t get updated.

FGTH / Disneyland
>As pointed out by Paul S, previously released on CD; on FGTH’s “Twelve Inches” 2xCD compilation in 2001; and on the Salvo 2xCD reissue of “WTTPD” in 2010.

Propaganda / Femme Fatale (The Woman With The Orchid)
>Previously reissued in 2001 on Propaganda’s “Outside World” compilation CD in 2001, and later on Propaganda’s “Noise And Girls Come Out To Play / A Compact Introduction To Propaganda” compilation CD in 2012.

Anne Pigalle / Intermission (The Gods are Bored)
>Previously issued on CD on the original Japanese CD from 1986, in Europe in 1994, and more recently on the Japanese reissue CD with bonus tracks in 2009.

Instinct / Swamp Out
>Previously unreleased on CD. A good reason why to buy this set!

Art of Noise / Egypt
>Previously released on CD on the Various Artists 3xCD+DVD ZTT box set from 2008, however mastered from vinyl at the time. This time it is based on a proper master tape!

In the booket, this release is marked “Japanese Edition” in one place, “Tokyo Edition” on another.

This may suggests – much like with “The Organization of Pop” trio of releases (New York, London, Tokyo) – that there will be other version(s) to come. One may wish such upcoming release(s) would include a video transferred from a proper master tape, rather than from the Laserdisc (or worse, the VHS…)

Five are previously unreleased:
Art of Noise / Closing (The Director’s Cut)
Instinct / Swamp Out (The Director’s Cut)
FGTH / Born To Run (The Director’s Cut)
Andrew Poppy / The Amusement (Live at The Value of Entertainment)
Art of Noise / Beat Box (Live at The Value of Entertainment, 30 May 1985, Extract)

Two have been previously released on Art Of Noise’s “And What Have You Done With My Body God” 4xCD box set:
Art of Noise / Beat Box (from the Ambassador’s Reel)
Art of Noise / Medley (from the Ambassador’s Reel)

Two are very close to the originals, are therefore of little interest:
Art of Noise / Closing (The Director’s Cut)
FGTH / Born To Run (The Director’s Cut)

One is quite short (1 1/2 min):
Art of Noise / Beat Box (Live at The Value of Entertainment, 30 May 1985, Extract)

However two are worth the investment, for being truly different to the originals and great pieces of music:
Instinct / Swamp Out (The Director’s Cut)
Andrew Poppy / The Amusement (Live at The Value of Entertainment)

@ Paul Sinclair: Yes I have watched the DVD.
Well, if this is made from a newly discovered master:
– it is not of great quality (grainy, weak colors).
– why would the tracks title overlays not be newly executed (less pixelated…)?
– why would the subtitles not be optionally removable?

And in Ian Peel’s extensive liner notes, there is no mention this being based on a newly discovered master.

I bought this today in Shinjuku. The DVD does not appear to be mastered from the laserdisc (it’s still video-quality because it was shot on video tho) and the subtitles are indeed removable. It is also an all-region DVD.

I have this ordered from CD Japan for £18.49
I recently ordered the Tokyo edition of the ‘Organisation of Pop’ from them for the same price – choosing the overseas delivery option without express or need for a signature, it came within 14 days and on checking my bank statement I think there was a 56p charge! Much better than Amazon!